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Special Purpose Planning: River Valley Region

River valley regions provide an ideal unit for regional planning due to being physically and socially integrated areas drained by a main river and its tributaries. River valley planning allows for ecologically sound and cost-effective development and conservation by considering the entire basin. Some benefits include making water resources freely available throughout the basin and inducing development on a regional basis. However, river valley regions also present challenges for planning like lacking physical, social, and economic uniformity which requires multi-level planning, and possibly involving multiple nations or states.

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1K views7 pages

Special Purpose Planning: River Valley Region

River valley regions provide an ideal unit for regional planning due to being physically and socially integrated areas drained by a main river and its tributaries. River valley planning allows for ecologically sound and cost-effective development and conservation by considering the entire basin. Some benefits include making water resources freely available throughout the basin and inducing development on a regional basis. However, river valley regions also present challenges for planning like lacking physical, social, and economic uniformity which requires multi-level planning, and possibly involving multiple nations or states.

Uploaded by

Payal Singh
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Special Purpose Planning: River Valley Region

Course: Regional Planning and Rural Development (CC-05)


M.A. Geography (Sem.-11)
By

Dr. Md. Nazim


Professor, Department of Geography
Patna College, Patna University

Lecture-3
Concept:
River valley region is an important natural region which may be taken
as a unit in regional development planning. It includes the area drained
by the main river and its tributaries. It is an integrated physically and
socially region and may be used as an ideal unit of planning region.
River valley planning is an ecologically sound and economically cost
effective means of getting together both the development and
conservation.The idea involved in developing the entire river basin is to
induce development on a region-wise basis so that all natural resources
are freely available to all the sub-units of the basin. Hence the concept
of river basin planning is visualized as a part of regional development
approach.

Separate planning for River Valley Region:


The irrigation commission (1972) of India has recommended the
following policy for the formulation of river basin plan,
 Basin plan should present a comprehensive outline of land-
water resources to meet the regional and local needs.
 Various engineering works should be done in the basin to
meet needs on demand (b) priority wise use of water
resources (c) priority of projects.
 The plan should be periodically reviewed and revised as
required in the light of changing needs and supplies.
It is based on water induced development to induce economy
and needs co-operation for interstate river basin.
Objectives:
1. Environmental issues -pollution, sedimentation ,diseases
2. Safety issues from floods - people , crops
3. Economic viability –agriculture, industry and services

Problems of River Valley Region:


1. No proper land-water management for the suitability and use of land
and water for various crops.
2. Lack of alternative rural economy.
3. Floods –uncertainty of crops, life and property.
4. Low production per hectare.
5. Dependence of agriculture on rainfall.
6. Lack of rural structural facilities.
7. Wastage of rain water.
8. Soil erosion.
9. Problem of drinking water.
10. Forest erosion.
11. Lack of scientific test of soil for crop suitability and proper planning

Planning and Prospects:


a. Agriculture
b. Fisheries
c. Aquaculture
d. Industry
e. Hydrological power
Flood resistant crops –Variety of Rice developed by
International Rice Research Institute, Manila in 2004 as “Swarna
Submergence-1”and practiced by rice research in Dhaka.
The drainage basin of a river basin has proved to be an economically
viable, physically integrated and widely accepted regional unit for
planned development. The river basin is a natural relatively easily
delineated area. It owes within it many of the elements of the resource
endowment, linked for the most part by cultural and ecological process,
surface configuration, soils, vegetation and climate are among those
elements linked with water within the drainage basin .
The river basin was taken up first in the United States as a unit for
regional planning in 933 when TVA (Tennessee valley authority) was
erected. In India – in March, 1948 the Damodar Valley Corporation
(DVC) was set up as a central govt. agency for the purpose of river
basin development.The main objective was to control floods and making
provision for irrigation,power generation ,navigation , water supply,
soil conservation, fishery development etc.
Watershed Area
Watershed is a geographical area that drains out rain water to a
common point. Size of the rainwater forms the basis for its further
classification –e.g.-sub- watershed – 100- 150 sq km, Meso- watershed-
10 to 100sq km, Micro- watershed -1 to 10 sq km and Mini - watershed –
less than 1sq km.
1. At least 500 hectares 2.Study of slope3.Soil and water resource of
area 4. Present land use 5.Functional structure 6. Ecological aspects at
micro- level
Purpose of the Planning:
1. Water conservation
2. Rainwater harvesting
3. Solution of drinking water
4. Irrigation facilities
5. Forestry and fishery
6. Agriculture and Aquaculture

River Valley Region as a unit for Panning: Problems


 It does not have physical, social and economic uniformity
and hence needs multi-level planning.
 It may have multi-national boundaries.
 Disparity in the pace of development.
 Inter-state controversy

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